The ovarian disorders in mammals include, for example, follicle growth termination syndrome in cows wherein the follicle stops its growth in an estrous cycle, leading to the suspension of the cycle for several days; delayed ovulation phenomenon wherein ovulation occurs following the phenomenon described above; and its reverse phenomenon such as atresia follicle i.e., closed follicle, induced by atrophic follicle. All of these disorders are diagnosed as follicle growth impairment or ovarian insufficiency.
Alternatively, cows sometimes do not show any estrous cycle for a long period even though they are not pregnant. In these cases, the cows not having been in parity are diagnosed as follicle growth impairment, whereas the cows in parity are diagnosed as atrophic follicle. More severe cases are diagnosed as hypoovarianism or retention syndrome of corpus luteum.
Ovarian cyst is also included in such disorders other than those aforementioned.
Conventionally, the ovarian disorders have been diagnosed by doctors, based on a variety of examination results. In particular, cattle, such as cows, and pigs have been examined through veterinarian's rectal examination as to whether they have such disorders.
On the other hand, the presence or absence of pregnancy in humans has been determined by the results of urea test and ultra-sonography while in cattle, such as cows, and pigs it has been determined by the rectal examination by veterinarians.
However, frequent rectal examination in cows by veterinarians, for example, causes some problems, such as damaged follicle and catarrhal rectum induced by imposed pressure thereon.
Additionally, if hormone therapy is performed under some instinct of veterinarians at diagnosis, it can cause some adverse problem such as the incidence of corpus luteum cyst and follicle cyst. Similar problems have been suggested in humans besides the cattle such as cows.
As an additional problem, it is impossible to carry out rectal examination in large-sized Holstein cows and overfatted beef cattle, because they are overweight and superfatted, so that underlying follicle disorders or the presence of pregnancy cannot be diagnosed in them.
Particularly in cows, the uterus is enclosed by the pelvis so that it cannot be examined and diagnosed by ultrasonography. In humans, there is certain anxiety regarding the adverse effects of ultrasonography on a fetus, as well as disadvantages of the urea test, such as being a complex, time-consuming and costly procedure.
The present invention has been achieved to solve the conventional problems heretofore mentioned. The object of the present invention is to provide a method for examining an ovary and an apparatus therefor, which realize the diagnosis in mammalian ovary in a safe and secure manner.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for diagnosing the presence or absence of pregnancy and the apparatus therefor, which realize safe, rapid and low-cost diagnostic technique of pregnancy in mammals.
Further object of the present invention is to provide a method for examining an ovary and diagnosing the presence or absence of pregnancy and the apparatus therefor, which can realize the examination and diagnosis of ovarian disorders and pregnancy even in cases such as cows, which cannot be given rectal examination.